LARKANA, Dec 9: The president of the Sindh chapter of Pakistan People’s Party, Syed Qaim Ali Shah, said on Sunday that the government, under a pre-planned rigging plan, had relocated polling stations in the constituency of party chairperson Benazir Bhutto to places far from populated areas to make it difficult for people to reach there.

He told journalists at the residence of former leader of opposition in Sindh Assembly Nisar Ahmed Khuhro that in stark violation rules and regulations, 18 polling stations in NA-207, Benazir’s constituency and PS-37, constituency of the president of party’s Larkana chapter Ayaz Soomro in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh Bhutto had been relocated.

He predicted victory for PPP not only in Sindh but also in the rest of the country but at the same time expressed doubts about the transparency of elections. PPP decided to participate in the polls for it did not want to leave the field open for its rivals, he explained.

Qaim termed the caretaker set-up a continuation of previous government and remarked that it was no less than a joke that a sitting chairman of the Senate had been installed as caretaker prime minister.

He criticised the rulers for trampling over the constitution and victimising PPP and its workers. In Ubauro police unnecessarily raided a farm owned by Jam Mehtab, a PP candidate, while in Nasirabad, Balochistan, two party workers were killed when an election camp of another party candidate Sadik Umrani came under attack, he said adding that he took it as a sign of defeat for the former ruling party.

To a question he said that the party was engaged in talks with Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI), ANP and a number of other parties over seat adjustments in Karachi and certain other parts of the interior of Sindh. He, however, stopped short of disclosing at which stage the talks were.

He ruled out any possibility of talks with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and claimed that PPP was the only party that could steer the country from the present crisis and correct law and order situation.

Nisar Khuhro said that despite doubts about the fairness of polls the party would take part in elections under protest. The massive turnout of people welcoming Ms Benazir Bhutto everywhere in the country spoke volumes of their love for the party leadership, he observed.

Syed Qaim Ali Shah and other party leaders present at Nisar Khuhro’s residence welcomed the senior vice-president of PML-F Dr Fayyaz Hussain Khichi, the general secretary of Larkana chapter of PML-F Syed Mehtab Shah Jilani, chief of Sangi tribe Sardar Zaffar Hussain Sangi and Agha Khan Jatoi, the brother-in-law of former federal minister Liaquat Jatoi for joining PPP. Agha Khan Jatoi is the former chairman of Larkana district council.

MUMTAZ BHUTTO: Chair-man Sindh National Front Mumtaz Ali Bhutto expressed his surprise over Nawaz Sharif’s insistence to enter into an accord with Benazir Bhutto despite her party’s ‘somersault’.

Mr Bhutto alleged that Ms Benazir had not only deviated from the fundamental stance of the Charter of Democracy and the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy, but also went against the All Parties Democratic Movement’s position. He said this in a press statement.